What is the daily per diem for county employees doing business out of town? Recently, the sheriff allowed two deputies to spend more than $50 each for a meal while traveling out of state for training. I would like to know whether this is a common practice among Sheriff's Office or other county employees.

"Douglas County does not have a per diem," said Rick Trapp, Douglas County sheriff. "Charges such as these are not common practice with SO (Sheriff's Office) employees. Unfortunately, we have discovered some rare exceptions where the expenses claimed may not be reasonable under the circumstances.

"We are dealing with these now. We are considering some type of cap or per diem that will help avoid such problems, but not penalize employees who are required to travel to high-cost areas."